Mr Howard said he was hopeful that it would be available in time for the start of a mass-vaccination campaign, starting in 2008.
Health Minister Tony Abbott today urged drug manufacturer CSL to apply again to have Gardasil included in the national immunisation program, after the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) yesterday knocked back an application to make it available free to all females aged 12 to 26.
Gardasil halts the spread of sexually-transmitted human papilloma virus (HPV), which causes 70 percent of cervical cancers, but it currently costs $460 for the recommended three doses.
The PBAC said it made the decision because the vaccine program - which would have cost about $625 million during its first four years - was not value for money.
But CSL and scientists involved have disputed the claim.
Mr Abbott said today he accepted the expert advice from PBAC, but said he expected the manufacturer to make another submission.
"There obviously has been a lot of hope invested in Gardasil, and let's have CSL and the PBAC sit down together and talk through the issues and see that a subsequent application can't get a different result," Mr Abbott told ABC Radio.
If the second application was successful, he said the vaccination program could be up and running in just over a year.
"Certainly the PBAC is capable of moving very quickly on a very important topic such as this.
"My understanding is, depending on the result of discussions between PBAC and CSL, a new application could be considered in March and, if that turns out to involve a positive recommendation which is accepted by government, you could still have a national immunisation program kick off at the beginning of 2008," Mr Abbott said.
The vaccine, developed by Australian of the Year Ian Frazer, was approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in August.